


Doomed

by Avbby



Category: Orange is the New Black
Genre: F/F, OITNB - Freeform, soft gay, vauseman - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-02-27 04:17:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13240263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avbby/pseuds/Avbby
Summary: Piper now lives in her deceased great-uncle's house in Brooklyn and desperately wants to find a roommate. She comes across Alex in a bar, and they slowly build a tumultuous relationship. They'll have to face many obstacles (such as Larry, Piper's boyfriend) and make difficult choices to find their way back to each other.





	1. The Roommate Hunt

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> So this is kind of my first work, it's pretty soft (some soft gay for when yore feeling a little down and need faith in humanity) and sometimes I make mistakes since English is not my first language. The POVs change between Piper and Alex while still being sort of omniscient (I usually separate them with a line). The story begins before they knew each other, and Piper is with *sigh* Larry. If you have suggestions or constructive observations I'm very open, and please don't forget to kudos! Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short, I know, I know. Also don't forget that this is the beginning and they don't know each other so I can't rush right into their relationship just yet.

Piper just inherited her great-uncle's gigantic house in Brooklyn, and she didn't want to live alone. In fact, she wasn't sure she could. She was such a social creature, she'd bore herself to death without anyone around. Just the thought of herself eating alone, sleeping alone, doing everything in the void and emptiness of the manor made her sick. Of course she had Larry, her boyfriend, but he got a job offer as daily writer for a newspaper in New York, and it was probably his only shot at a real career. He offered to stay for her, but she knew he'd regret it and blame her for the rest of his days, so she let him go. Besides, they could always use Skype and see each other on the weekends, right? She knew the rates of failure for long-distance relationships were extremely high, but she also knew how much Larry cared for her, and truly believed they could make it work. With her new business to run and her job as a waitress, she probably wouldn't have much time to maintain a relationship anyway, so it might have been better this way, or at least it's what she kept telling herself. For the moment, she just wanted to find a good roommate she could share the house with. Of course she had place to take in more than one extra person, but she had plans for the future and thought it was best for her to only get one in case she wanted to take the house back all to herself. 

She went down to the bar she worked in and posted on the billboard an add that read:

 _ROOMMATE_ _WANTED_

 _Ideal_ _roommate_ _description:_

 _Looking_ _for_ _a_ _quiet_ _and_ _clean_ _roommate_ _,_   _no_ _furry_ _pets._

 _Residency_ _description:_

 _Big_ _house_ _in_ _Brooklyn_ _with_ _view_ _on the_ _bay_ _,_ _pool,_ _wide_ _yard_ _, big_ _kitchen_ _,_ _private_ _bathroom_ _for_ _the room to_ _be_ _rented_ _._

 _Rent_ _:_

 _To_ _be_ _discussed_ _._

She added her contact info with a pen she had somewhere in the mess that was her purse and took a step back to admire her work. 

In the days that followed, she received many calls and applications, most of which she immediately declined because of things that might have seemed like small details to most people, but were major game changers to her. She met a couple of the applicants, but she always found something she didn't like, from their voice to their hairdo, not to mention their perfume. She dropped on her bed and looked at the ceiling in despair. Maybe she wasn't made to have a roommate after all. Maybe she was doomed to live alone for the rest of her days. She decided to drink her sorrow and went back to the bar. 

* * *

 

Alex had been watching Piper come in and out of the bar for days now. She found something in her that she simply couldn't resist. She saw her post that cute pink poster saying she needed a roommate. Sadly, she really didn't need a new place. Hers was great: near the club, affordable (not that it would have been a problem) and just the right size. It was about six or seven o'clock, the bar was almost empty. Alex was relaxing with a couple of friends like she usually did on Friday nights. They were talking when Alex heard the little front door bell ring, announcing someone was entering. She turned around, hoping it was the cute blonde she'd been checking out, and it was. She smirked.

"Hey, Alex, you enjoying the view?", one of her friends asked.

She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her beer.

"Go talk to her!" They encouraged Alex, "Unless you don't have the guts."

She raised her eyebrows, stood up, took her glass and replied:

"Maybe I will."

Her attitude sparked laughs and gasps among her friends, who were not really expecting her to go through with the challenge, even if it wasn't very surprising that she did. In fact, she was kind of hoping something like that would happen and give her some kind of excuse to go talk to this Piper girl. She walked over to the bar with a confidant smile and sat next to the blonde. Her smile however faded when she saw the sadness on Piper's face. 

"What can I get you, Pipes?" The bartender asked.

"Surprise me, but it better be strong."

"Hey, are you ok?" Alex asked.

No answer. She didn't want things to get awkward, but she had to talk to her.

"So, I saw you post that flyer a few days ago... How's the roommate hunt going?"

Piper smashed her head on the counter and grunted a slight "badly". The bartender came back with three little blue shots. 

"Your favourite."

"Not much of a surprise, Tom," retortded Piper.

"You're welcome, sunshine! Jesus, Pipes, lighten up!" 

The girl emptied two shots, and Alex looked at her with surprise and amusement. 

"You might wanna slow down a little," Alex advised.

"What for, it's not like I had a roommate or a boyfriend waiting for me at home." 

"Ok, whatever, but relax on the shots. Look, order something milder and I'll put it on my tab."

Piper didn't seem to react, so she added:

"For a nice stanger, c'mon."

She bumped Piper's shoulder, who gave her a weak smile and ordered a Margarita. 

"It's a little cold out for a Margarita, don't you think?" Alex teased her.

Piper ignored Alex's comment and changed the subject.

"Who are you anyway?"

"My name's Alex. And you are Piper."

"Yeah." She took the glass Tom handed her. "Thanks, Tom."

"Now that's better." 

He winked at her and attended other business.

"So, how did you end up with that house anyway?", Alex asked as she sipped her drink. 

"You know, just the ususal. Super rich hermit great-uncle, doesn't have any close relatives, gets pervy real' quick and likes my ass I guess...

"I don't blame him", Alex replied between a sip and a smirk.

They smiled at each other and giggled to Alex's flirty comment.

"Well, to your pervy great-uncle and to your new house", Alex toasted while raising her glass.

Piper nodded and followed her lead as she met Alex's gaze. They talked all night and even though they didn't have that much common ground, it was obvious there was something between them. You could tell by the way they looked at each other, by the way they laughed and talked and by all the subtle, yet omnipresent touching going on. They had stopped talking for a few seconds when a drunken Piper bursted into tears.

"Whoa, what's going on, Pipes?"

"I'll never find a roommate", she sobbed. "I'll end up dead and alone and my 52 cats will eat my rotting body and no one will care!"

Alex laughed a little.

"What's so funny?" Piper asked, upset.

"Your 52 cats will eat your rotting body? Really? Don't you think that's a bit exaggerated?"

"Maybe... But that's not the point. I can't stand to live alone, and none of the bozos I met were roommate material..."

She covered her eyes with her hands, and told Alex that it didn't matter, but the black-haired woman could still see the tears running down Piper's cheeks. She just wanted to tell her that she'd be all right, grab her face and kiss her, but instead she told her: "I'll do it." Piper uncovered her face.

"What?"

"I'll do it. I'll be your roommate. I know I said I already had a great place earlier but..."

Before she could even finish her sentence, Piper jumped from her stool and hugged her.

"Thank you," she whispered in Alex's ear.

Alex hugged her back and smiled. She slid her hand under the blonde's hair and onto her neck. She closed her eyes. Things couldn't have turned out better.


	2. Moving Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper is starting to get that Alex is more than a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's short but I like it, this way I can post more often (I think all of my chapters might be around a thousand words from now on) Also I think Pipes and Al might really get together next chapter, so hang on. If you guys react well to this I should post really soon. For now, more soft gay.

It had been two weeks since Alex told Piper she'd move in. Her stuff was all packed and ready to go. She had to admit she was a bit nervous, which was not like her. She watched the moving crew put her last box in the truck. That was it. She was really doing it. She took a last glance at her old place, exhaled deeply and got in the cab on the way to her new life. 

* * *

 

Piper couldn't help but look by the window for her soon-to-be roommate. She didn't know what was so exciting about it. Was she happy that it was someone she knew a little and not some random stranger? Sure. But it was still just a roommate, right? So what was all the fuss about? She saw a moving truck pull up in front of her house, closely followed by cab. She rushed to the door like a little puppy hearing its master coming home, but remembered she had to act casual. It was nothing, just moving day. She cleared her throat, and walked slowly to the door to open it. She waved at Alex who was talking to one of the movers. Alex's face lightened up and she waved back at Piper. She walked over to the door with her little carry-on and greeted Piper.

"Hey, Roomie!" Piper answered.

She hugged Alex before taking her luggage and showing her to her room.

"Shit, you weren't kidding, this house is really huge!" Alex exclaimed.

"Yeah, and imagine being alone here at night..."

"Well, I'm here now."

Alex smiled at her and Piper smiled back before looking at the floor. She could feel herself blushing. "I'm here now". Piper could only think about Larry. "I'm here now". He wasn't. Why wasn't he? "I'm here now". Alex was there. Her comforting presence, her cute glasses, her eyes, her smile... "I'm here now". She was there.

Alex's voice brought her back to reality.

"Piper? Are you okay?"

She looked at Alex. She really was gorgeous. She had her hand on her shoulder and looked really concerned. She was there. All hers.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Ok... I gotta talk to the movers, I'll be back."

Piper nodded and sat on the mattress-less bed. Alex had such a weird effect on her. Every time they talked, she felt like there was something more to their relationship than friendship. Then her mind always wandered back to Larry. Larry who wasn't there. Was it even worth it? It's well known that long-distance relationships don't last, so why bother, right? The stability. Larry was the adult choice. But she was still so young! She wanted to experiment... And Alex? Well, she fell right onto her lap. But what if it didn't work out with Alex? What if it did work out? What if Larry found out?  What if she broke up with Larry?

Wow. See? The Vause effect. She made up all those scenarios without even thinking about what Alex wanted. And could she really try something with Alex without even being sure about her own feelings? Alex was a girl. Did she like girls? Apparently... So did that make her like gay now? So. Many. Fucking. Questions. Alex was coming back with the movers, transporting her dresser. She had rested her glasses on top of her head and her sleeves were rolled up.

" Hey, um, Pipes, would you mind getting some of the other boxes u -Shit, this is heavy- get some of the boxes up here please?"

Piper stared at her for a moment. She was unconsciously biting her lip, and her thoughts seemed primitive. So. Hot. It took all that she had to slowly nod and get up. She walked to the staircase like some kind of zombie, and she was still thinking about Alex when she missed a stair and fell down.

* * *

 

Alex heard a loud noise coming from the stairwell. She stopped moving to listen better and heard Piper swearing. She must've fell down. She dropped the dresser and walked towards the noise at an increasing speed, ignoring the the mad movers. 

"Piper? Pipes, are you okay?"

Her roommate was lying in the stairs and trying to sit up.

"Hey, hey slow down, let me help you."

She grabbed Piper's shoulder and held her by the waist. Piper was holding her head.

"What the hell happened?"

"It's nothing, really. I was just, uh, distracted, I guess."

"Let me see your head."

She took Piper's hand of her head to uncover a bleeding cut.

"Fuck! That is one nasty cut!"

She tried to wipe a bit of the blood off with her thumb, but Piper groaned in pain.

"Sorry..." 

She sat next to Piper and began to stroke her hair. Piper nested her head on Alex's shoulder and closed her eyes. Alex leaned her head on Piper's. She was so comfortable (and so happy) until she remembered why they were sitting in the middle of the staircase.

"Hey, so we should probably take care of that wound..."

"Yeah," Piper said without moving.

They sat in silence for a few more instants before Alex got up.

Piper groaned.

"Nooo! Stay with me!"

"Pipes, we really gotta take care of that before it gets infected."

She reached out to Piper who reluctantly took her hand. Alex lead, not knowing exactly where to go.

"Make a left, the third door's a bathroom."

They entered the room, and Alex seated Piper on the toilet. She took a washcloth she found on the counted and soaked it in soapy water. 

"I'm sorry, this is gonna hurt like a bitch."

She applied pressure on the wound with the cloth, and Piper had a recoil. 

"ARGH! Stop it! Stop it, it hurts!"

Alex put on her glasses and held the back of Piper's head.

"I know, I Know..."

She gently buffered Piper's forehead and put a plaster on her wound.

"There. I think you won't need stitches, the blood just made it seem worst than it is."

"Thanks..."

"You're welcome. I-I should probably get back to the movers. Get some rest."

Alex walked back up to her room. The movers had apparently finished getting her things up. She sat on her bed. She had been so close to kissing Piper. Seeing her hurt like that... She just wanted to comfort her, take her into her arms and rock her like a scared child. Maybe next time she would...

 


	3. A Day in the Life (part one)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper and Alex go biking. This chapter is super cringy but also super cute (I think).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed it's only part one because I didn't want to make it too long. It's still more soft than rough but I really think you're gonna like it. Also note that the settings are not really accurate (I know it), but for the sake of the story, let it go. As usual, comments and Kudos are appreciated! ^v^

Alex woke up around 10. The sun had already risen and so had Piper. She went downstairs and wandered around, guided to the kitchen by the sound of coffee being brewed.

"Hey, stranger!" greeted Piper.

"Hey! Tell me you have enough coffee for the both of us..."

"Yeah, here, I made you a cup."

Piper handed it to her. Alex took off her glasses and smelled her beverage. She gave the cup a little kiss.

"Thank God. Thank you!"

Piper finished making her own coffee and sat down beside Alex at the kitchen island.

"So I was thinking maybe I could show you around the neighbourhood today. That is unless, you know, you have plans or you don't want to..."

"Sure, that'd be great."

Alex couldn't help but smile, and so she buried her face in her cup while subtly looking at her roommate, who was, too, smiling like an idiot. 

They both got dressed and headed to the nearest park. The walk was a bit quiet and awkward, but a lot could be told through the silence. Their hands were, brushing, touching, rubbing, it was clear they wanted to hold them together. Alex couldn't take this "almost-but-not-really" thing anymore, so she took a chance and grabbed Piper's pinky with hers. She looked at her friend who blushed and smiled at her before looking at the sidewalk. Alex shook her head and laughed a little, not believing that someone could be so shy. As they walked, she continued grabbing Piper's fingers until she had grasped them all and they really were holding hands. Better. She stroke Piper's hand with her thumb. 

"So, where exactly are we heading?" Alex asked.

"Well, since it really is a gorgeous day, I thought we could rent bikes and roll up to the beach."

"Oh... I'm not really an outside person, but, I mean,  I guess I could give it a try... For you."

"How kind."

* * *

 

Piper was about to answer when she saw her friend Polly and her boyfriend Pete a few feet away.

"Piper!" Polly exclaimed, letting go of Pete to run towards her.

Piper panicked, realizing she was still holding Alex's hand. She violently let go, pushing Alex aside, before clearing her throat in an awkward "Heyyy Pol!"

* * *

 

Alex was astonished, and really had trouble understanding Piper's behavior. One second they were holding hands, the next she was being pushed in the bushes like some pervert. Was she ashamed of her? Why did they need to hide?

"So, Piper, who's your friend," Piper's friend asked.

"Pol, this is Alex, my... new roommate. Alex this is Polly, my friend, and her boyfriend Pete."

They each awkwardly greeted another before Piper spoke again.

"I was just showing Alex the neighborhood, and I thought we could go biking. Would you guys like to tag along?"

Please say no, please say no, please say no!

"Yeah, of course!" Polly joyfully answered.

Fuck. 

* * *

 

The three friends talked and tried as best as they could to include Alex in the conversation but in vain. 

"What do you say we only rent two bikes, you girls can sit on the handlebars and -uh, Alex, is it?- and I can ride," suggested Pete.

"Ooh! Yes! That sounds fun!" Polly answered before either Piper or Alex could.

Piper looked at Alex, looking for an answer in her face, but she didn't budge, so her roommate accepted on behalf of them both.

They installed as well as they could and the riders started pedaling.

"Last one to the beach looses!" Polly screamed.

"Come on, Al! We can't loose!"

"Pipes, they're already way ahead of us."

Piper made her little puppy face, and Alex couldn't resit it.

"Fuck, I can't believe we're doing this."

Piper made a huge smile and woohooed while Alex was getting up on the pedals to gain speed. They were getting closer to the couple when Piper saw a root that Pete had apparently managed to avoid, and before she could even tell Alex, they were both lying in a mud puddle. Piper slowly got up, mouth open, trying to process what had just happened. Alex got up too, and they both stared at each other, completely grossed out, before bursting in laughter.

"You've got a little something on your face," Alex said, pointing at her cheek.

"Oh yeah? Where? Here?" Piper replied while wiping her cheek, playing along.

"No, no, a little further down," she said, now pointing at her chin.

"Here?" Piper asked.

"No, no, let me get it."

Alex approached and wiped her muddy hand all over the blonde's face. She laughed as Piper reopened her mouth, completely stunned.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Piper yelled, vindictive.

Piper took a hand-full of mud and threw it at Alex.

"You bitch!"

They both laughed and continued to throw mud at each other until Alex slipped and fell on top of Piper. They gradually stopped laughing as tension settled. Piper replaced a strand of Alex's hair behind her ear. Both of their hearts were pounding hard, and they were so hot they could've taken their clothes off. Alex moved her face closer to Piper's, closer and closer until their lips almost touched. Piper didn't move, so Alex kissed her. She backed off, waiting for a reaction, which she did not get. She was about to get up when Piper grabbed her face and pulled her towards her. 

"Why'd you stop?" Piper whispered.

They looked deep in each other's eyes before kissing again. This time, they were both participating, and it was passionate. Alex's lips were smooth and warm, her tongue... God, it did all the right things. Alex was biting her lower lip and stretching it, then getting back to gentle yet fiery kissing. Piper's hands were starting to wander under Alex's shirt, she couldn't resist her anymore.

"Pipes! Pipes, we're in a park!"

"So?"

Piper could feel Alex's smile on her lips, and it was seriously they cutest thing. They continued to kiss, and Piper was cupping Alex's breast through her bra when she grabbed her wrist.

"Piper, trust me, I hate to say this, but..."

"Then don't," Piper interrupted before continuing to kiss her.

"Pipes... Your friends..." Alex tried to say between a pant, a kiss and a chuckle.

"Shit!" Piper said while getting up. "Shit, shit, shit! Fuck! Why didn't you say something sooner? They're gonna kill us!" 

"Pipes, I tried," she said, amused.

"Sorry, I know, I know... Get the bike, we gotta go."

Piper hopped behind Alex and wrapped her arms around her as if they were on a motorcycle. They rode off into the sun, leaving a little mud track behind them as well as their first kiss.


	4. A Day in the Life (part two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They go to the beach, have ice cream and get together (for real this time). It's the continuation of last chapter, so we pick off were we left off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a longer since I recreated their first time in bed (just a bit differently) and I really wanted it to be in this chapter. The POV is a bit different, it's more omniscient, but it's kind of from Piper's POV (still omniscient tho, but at this point you know my style).

Piper jumped of the bike, almost knocking Alex off of it, and ran down to the beach looking for her friends.

"Jesus, Piper! What the fuck happened to you?" Said Polly while observing a muddy Piper.

"Little accident, fell off the bike... Long story".

"Ugh! You smell, too. Do us all a favour and bathe. Please," begged Pete.

Piper rolled her eyes and shamelessly took all her clothes off (except for her underwear) and dove into the water. She saw her roommate a few feet away, looking at her with a grin on her face. Piper waved at her, trying to make her come in, but she'd just stay there smiling without moving.

"Come on, Al!"

Alex shook her head.

"Don't make me come out and get you!" Piper yelled.

"I... Uh... I don't have my bathing suit. Sorry, can't come!"

"Pff! Not an excuse! Get your ass over here! What? Are you afraid of the water? It can't bite, I swear!"

"Ha, ha," Alex sarcastically laughed.

She finally gave in and started undressing. Piper catcalled her. As Alex got closer, Piper noticed a muddy hand print -her muddy handprint- on her bra. She dragged Alex down by the arm so she'd be submerged in water.

"Ow! What? What is it?"

"Shh, not so loud!"

"Why, what? What is it?" Alex whispered, closer to Piper.

"Your bra!"

"Yeah, I know. It's an old bra, I don't like it either, no need to be a bitch about it," Alex said in her normal voice.

"No, not that you idiot! There's my handprint on it, and I'd prefer it if the whole city didn't know I touched your boobs."

"If it's any consolation, technically, you didn't. It was only my bra, so you know. Besides, I think it's kinda hot," she argued while looking at Piper's handprint like a trophy.

"Ha, ha. Now get down," Piper said, pulling Alex further down.

"Or what?" Alex playfully asked while backing away from Piper.

"Get back here!" Piper tried to whisper.

She splashed Alex who chuckled and splashed her back while backing even further away, smirking, to mock her friend. Piper ran and threw herself at her. She splashed and rubbed Alex's bra to get the mud stains off of it.

"Stop it! Get off of me!" Alex giggled.

Polly and Pete, who finished getting changed, joined them in the water.

"I feel like we're interrupting something here," Polly observed, puzzled.

Piper was so surprised that she literally jump scared and pushed Alex -again, who got underwater from head to toe. She got back to the surface coughing.

"Shit, Al, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Piper asked, concerned.

"Fuck! No, geez, I almost drowned!"

"Well, let's not be overdramatic here..."

"Do you have some kind of rare disease that makes you push people all the time, or do you just like watching me fall?" Alex said on a passive-agressive and sarcastic tone.

"I said I was sorry!"

"I'm sure you are."

There was a little silence. Polly and Pete looked at each other, not knowing what to do or say. 

"So, um, maybe we could go lie on the beach and read or something?" Suggested Polly.

"Yeah, let's do that," Piper briskly said.

They settled on the shore. Polly laid on Pete's shoulder to get warm. Piper looked at them, freezing, and then looked at Alex. Alex stared at her for a moment. She rolled her eyes and opened one of her arms. Piper smiled and dragged herself in Alex's arms. They laid down. Alex gave Piper a little kiss on the head before closing her eyes. They spent the afternoon asleep on each other. 

"Sorry to wake you, mates, but we thought we could go eat, it's almost six," apologized Pete. 

"Six already?" Piper said, surprised.

"Yeah, time flies, doesn't it?" Pete said to fill in the silence.

They got dressed and started to walk towards a restaurant. They ate, talked, had a few drinks and a genuinely fun time. After dinner, Polly and Pete decided it was time for them to go home, while Piper chose to continue to show the city to her roommate. They walked around for a while.

"I'm still hungry," Piper ruled.

"We just ate a fuck load of food, how can you still be hungry?"

"I don't know, but I do know I'm still hungry."

She took Alex's hand and dragged her to an ice cream shop.

"This place is great, you're gonna love it."

"Pipes, believe it or not, after eating basically three full plates, I'm not hungry," Alex said on a sarcastic tone.

"I'll have a lemon cone, please," Piper asked an employee. "What about you, Al?"

"Weren't you listening? I'm not hungry."

"Yeah, see, that's the wonderful thing about ice cream. You don't need to be hungry to eat it. She'll have the same," Piper ordered.

Alex rolled her eyes and took her glasses off. Piper took both of their orders and handed one to her friend as they walked out.

"Here. Give it a try."

"I'm not eating that, I already told you like a hundred times, I'm not hungry."

"Come oooonnn! Just a little taste!" Piper insisted.

Alex shook her head and started walking faster. Piper ran behind her and pushed her against a wall.

"Taste it," Piper said, looking straight into Alex's eyes. "And maybe I'll let you taste something else later."

"Are you hitting on me?" Alex chuckled.

"Maybe. Now taste it!" Piper said as she smashed the ice cream on Alex's mouth.

"Argh! What the!" Alex exclaimed as she tried to get off the wall.

She took the cone and crushed it back on the blonde's face.

"Ew! Careful, careful, the hair!"

"Don't worry, I'm sure the lemon flavour will go great with the mud," Alex giggled.

They laughed and looked at each other.

"You've got a little something on your face," Alex said, pointing at her chin.

"Oh yeah? Where? Here?" Piper replied while wiping her chin as she remembered the mud puddle incident.

"No, no, a little further down," Alex smiled.

"Here?" Piper asked.

"No, no, let me get it."

Alex got her face closer to Piper's and rested her forhead on hers. She gave Piper a gentle kiss on the lips.

"You were right," she whispered. "This stuff really does taste great..."

She licked a spot of ice cream on Piper's chin and got back to kissing. Piper grabbed her face and walked her back against the wall.

"Tell me when you get bored of that taste," Piper whispered in her ear.

Alex kissed her even harder. 

"I'm starting to..."

They rode back to their place, and as soon as they got off the bike, Alex picked up where they left off. Piper was panting and trying to unlock the door behind her back. When they got in, Piper took Alex's shirt off and started touching her breast by sliding her hand under the brunette's bra. Alex smiled.

"Now you're getting it."

They kissed all the way to Piper's room. The blonde pulled on her roommate's bra until it gave in, took her glasses and tossed them on the nightstand. She looked at Alex's great, full, pillowy breasts and she couldn't contain herself. She kissed her with all the tongue she had and squeezed her breast. She wanted to do more but, didn't know how. As she was thinking, she felt Alex's warm hand sliding in her panties, and she moaned a little. Alex was pulling Piper's shorts and underwear down. She got down on her knees. She looked at Piper, who was panting like crazy, and smirked. She kissed Piper's inner thighs before getting up and picking the blonde up a little, just to get her into bed. She slid under the covers and continued to kiss Piper, starting on her tits, which she was sucking like a baby, then on the belly and making her way back to her thighs. She kissed around a bit before going on her clit, and sucking it like a pacifier. She put two fingers in Piper's vagina, who arched her back as she was starting to cum already. She played with Piper's boob with her other hand. Alex made little circles with her tongue around Piper's clit, and gradually increased speed. Then, she hit it. Piper's G-spot. And trust me when I say she took care of it. Piper was wet and moaning like she never had before. Her back was arched as it could be and she was holding onto the bed like her life depened on it. Alex got back up when Piper came, and she had one of those smiles...

"Horrible, wasn't it?" Alex said as she layed her head on Piper's chest.

"The worst," Piper answered, panting. "You're really bad at that," she continued between two kisses. "Can I do you?" She finally asked.

"You don't have to ask," Alex chuckled.

"I've never really..."

"Gone down on a woman before?" Completed Alex.

"I mean... No."

Alex chuckled again. 

"What kind of a lesbian are you?" Joked Alex.

"The boob-touching kind."

"All right, well, are you ready to take the plunge... So to speak?"

"Are you gonna coach me through it?"

"Yeah."

They kissed again, but Piper's cellphone chimed, announcing she had received a text.

"Shit..."

She tried to reach it without leaving Alex, and looked over the latter's shoulder to see who was interrupting them at such an inconvenient time.

"No... No, no, no, no!"

"What, what is it?"

"Larry's coming home..."

 


	5. Un-Break My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper tells Alex about Larry, and Alex goes to Nicky's. This is a Nicky and Alex chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so this is a bit cheesy, but sometimes cheesy's good. I'm not sure yet but I think next chapter will be a Piper and Polly one, because I need to get somewhere and Piper needs to realize some things, just like Alex did here. Also if you have any suggestions or things you'd like to see in the upcoming chapters, please comment them!

 

"Who's Larry, and why do we hate him?" Alex asked, confused.

"We don't... We don't hate him."

They sat in silence.

"Okay, then we don't hate him, but who's him?"

"Larry"

"Yes, Piper, I kinda got that already. Why are you avoiding my question?"

"Because... You have to promise not to get mad."

"Well, that's reassuring."

"Al... He's my boyfriend."

"Your what?" Alex said, raising her voice and getting out of bed.

"Al, you've got to understand... I was going to tell you, I swear!"

"Oh, yeah! Like you didn't get a thousand fucking opportunities to tell me already! Why would you do that? Getting my hopes up like that? What's the deal here? Are you breaking up with him, or do you just like playing with us?" Alex nearly yelled.

"Al..." Piper said in a sorry voice.

"No. You know what? I don't want to know. Goodbye, Piper."

Alex took her clothes off the floor and stormed out, Piper on her heels.

"Alex! Where are you going? You live here, remember? Just let me explain..."

Alex turned around to face Piper.

"Look, whatever shit explanation you have for whatever this is, I don't want to hear it. Normally, I wouldn't care to sleep around with some girl who happens to have a boyfriend, but the thing is;  you're not some girl, Pipes. At least not to me. I thought you were special, I really did."

Alex looked mad, but also broken. Really, really broken. Piper had hurt her. Alex wasn't the type of girl that hoped, but Piper brought something up in her, a new look on life. She used to see the worst in everything, and always act like the most horrible scenario was the one that would come true. She didn't get attached, and didn't fall in love. But with Piper... Everything was different. She let her walls come down, she was vulnerable. At that moment, she just wanted to cry. To cry,  and to go see her mom. Unfortunately, her mother was out of town, so she decided to go see her best friend Nicky, who happened to live a few blocks away. She looked at Piper one last time before closing the door. 

The night was cold, and her heart was even colder. She shed a few tears. How could she have fallen so fast for Piper? She could've just stayed. She could've ignored this Larry dude and steal his girl, and trust me, she thought about it. So why didn't she do it, you ask? Because she wanted to be picked. Just for once, she wanted to be the first choice. She was playing a dangerous game. She hoped Piper would come around, and maybe she would, but for now, she just needed someone to talk to. She knocked on her friend's door. It was unlocked. 

"Nicky, you do know that some day it won't be me walking through that door, right? Some day, it'll be a serial killer."

Nicky didn't answer, and Alex was starting to regret what she had just said.

"Nicky?" 

She walked up the stairs of the Nichols house, heading to her friend's room. She put her hand on the doorknob, closed her eyes and breathed in, afraid of what she'd find. Nicky was there, indeed, head between another girl's thighs.

"Fuck, Nicky! You've really gotta learn to lock your doors!" Alex said, turning her head away.

The two girls dressed up, and the stranger walked out, shoes in her hands.

"And you've really got to learn to knock, Vause," Nicky replied while sniffing her fingers.

"Who was that?" Alex asked, suddenly interested.

"No one. What are you doing here? And why do you look so... hideous? Your eyes are all puffy."

"Wow, way to cheer a girl up."

"I didn't know you needed cheering up. What happened?"

"You know the girl I moved in with?"

"Yeah, Blondie. What's up with her?"

"We fucked and..."

"Ha ha! Way to go, Vause!" Nicky interrupted, patting her on the back.

"She has a boyfriend, Nicky."

"Yeah, so what? So did the girl you just saw walking out. She wouldn't stop blabbing about him. Christopher here, Christopher there, but I don't give a shit about that, now do I?"

"Guess not... But I'm telling you, this is not just another girl. There's something about her..."

"Jesus, Vause, stop with the cheesiness already! I get it, she's special. Get your shit together and move on, there are plenty of babes in the sea."

"I don't think that's how it goes."

"Sure it is."

Alex chuckled. Seemed like Nicky cheered her up after all.

"Why are you being so salty about this anyway? Is it that chick?" Alex asked.

"Her name's Lorna."

"Wow, you know her name, I'm impressed."

"You say that like I never learn names."

"Uh, yeah, that's exactly what I was implying. Let's see, there was Psycho Chick, Tits-And-Ass, Messy Pussy, Loud Girl, Vampire Gal, Up-tight Bitch, Jessie's Girl and, uh, Scandal Jenner. Am I missing one?" Asked Alex while counting on her fingers.

"Ok, ok, so maybe I don't learn names. Why does it matter anyway? It's not like we talk much," Nicky argued as she made a gesture that meant "have sex" with her fingers.

"So what's the deal with Lorna, why isn't she Chick 4k or Lipstick Gal?"

" 'Cause I like her. Just like you like Blondie."

"And they both have boyfriends. Seems like we're dirty mistresses, huh?"

There was a silence in which Nicky started to roll a joint and smoked. 

"Welcome to the club."

She handed the joint to Alex who hesitated, but finally took it.

"Oh, and what the hell."

She took a puff, coughed, and handed it back to Nicky.

"Oh. My. Fucking. God. Did Alex Vause just cough while smoking?"

"Shut your face hole, Nichols. I hadn't done that since college, cut me some slack."

"It's Baby-Lungs Vause, back from the dead!" Nicky chuckled.

"I said shut up!" Alex laughed.

They sat laughing for a few moments before Nicky got serious again.

"So what are you gonna do about Blondie?"

"Honestly? I have no fucking clue."

Nicky slapped her on the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For being stupid, you moron! Why the fuck did you leave if you didn't have a plan? I know this", she gestured. " This whole I-run-away-from-hapiness crap? You're sabotaging yourself."

"Look at you, all philosophical. Besides, you know I don't do plans."

"Well, maybe you should. And I ain't being philosophical, I'm just warning you, Vause. You're afraid to be happy, and you don't think you deserve to be, so you don't put in the effort and you push people away. Wow. I am being philosophical."

"So? Maybe I do push people away, but look at this mess! We've know each other for like a month and she already broke my heart. It was only a matter of time. We don't work together."

"This is exactly what I'm talking about. You like her, Al. I haven't seen you like this in... Never, actually."

"Well, ok then. I fucked up. It's what I do best. Can we stop talking about my shitty love life now? I either need a drink or a nap."

"Fine. I was starting to get weirded out by that whole maternal shit anyway. 'Night."

"'Night."

They turned away from each other and laid on the bed, eyes wide open, each thinking about the ones they let go.

"This is not the end of us. It can't be," Alex thought. "It won't be."


	6. Speak of the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a Piper and Polly one. Piper must make her pick between Alex, who just left, and Larry, who's just coming back. It's happening at the same time as the previous one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! If you have any suggestions or things you'd like to see in the upcoming chapters, please do tell! Also I know this chapter is a bit repetitive, but it's kind of what Piper does, asking herself too many questions and confusing herself (especially when it concerns Alex and Larry) before coming to a conclusion.

 

Piper was in choc. That kind of thing never happened to her. She wasn't let down, she let down. Though she had to admit she didn't quite know where she thought this was going. She wasn't one to juggle people around, she never even had two lovers at the same time before.  And now? Well, she wasn't even sure she'd be left with one. Oh, don't get me wrong, she had no intention of telling Larry about any of what happened, but she wasn't sure she even wanted to stay with Larry after the day (or rather the night) she had with Alex. One day with her had been more exciting then a year with him. He was nice, and sweet, and sometimes funny, but was that enough? Larry was security. Alex was adventure. Larry was... okay looking? While Alex... Well, she was a straight-up burning fire. Piper was overthinking and as she was getting up to get a drink, the bell rang. "Please don't be Larry," she thought. It was just Polly.

"Oh, hey, Pol," Piper morosely said.

"Hey, dead lady. What's up with the tone?"

"Nothing... What are you doing here so late?"

"I needed to borrow your green dress for tomorrow morning... Kinda seems irrelevant now."

Polly took her jacket off and followed Piper to the living room.

"Want a drink?" Piper asked.

Polly shook her head no, and Piper shrugged her shoulders.

"Your loss."

She opened a bottle of tequila and drank straight from the bottle. Polly was astonished.

"Jesus, Pipes! What the hell are you doing?!"

She took it away from her friend, who took it back instantly. 

"I'm a big girl, Pol, I can handle myself," Piper retorted, upset.

"Obviously not. What's going on?"

"Nothing, I told you."

"Oh, so you're just casually chugging tequila _for fun_?"

"Yeah. 'Cause girls just wanna have fun," Piper answered, "And Ttquila."

Piper brandished the bottle in her friend's face. She resisted for a while, and then gave in and took a sip.

"Shit!" Polly coughed, "We're too old for that."

"Never too old for tequila," Piper argued as she took it back.

"Okay, but seriously though, what's wrong?"

Piper ignored the question and looked towards the stairs, hoping that Alex would miraculously appear and tell her what to do.

"It's that brunette, isn't it?"

Piper snapped out.

"What? No. No! No."

"It is! I freaking knew it. She's bad news. I'm telling you, she's gonna wreck everything."

"Okay, first off, slow down. I haven't told you anything yet. Second off, please don't talk about Alex like she was a hurricane."

"Then please, talk away."

"Alex and I have... A special relationship."

"Ok, that doesn't mean shit. What, is she like your girlfriend now? And what about Larry?"

"I'll tell you, but you really have to be quiet about this. Promise."

"What are we, 9?"

"Pol."

"Fine, fine! I promise."

"After dinner, we went for ice cream. It was so fucking amazing, you have no idea. Anyway, one thing lead to another and we might've maybe sorta ended up in my bed."

"Shit! Really?"

"Pol, I'm telling you, I just discovered what sex is supposed to be like. She was..."

"Woah, were not there yet," interrupted Polly, "So... Are you like dumping Larry now, or do you just plan on cheating on him indefinitely?"

"I'm so confused... I just wanted to experiment a little, you know? But now... I think I want it to be a little more than that. And Larry... Oh God! I can't break up with him now! He's coming from New York to see me."

"So... You're breaking it off with Alex?"

"I don't know, I think she might not want to have anything to do with me anymore anyway."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, you didn't even tell _her_ about Larry?"

"What was I supposed to do? Like 'Hey, thanks for the pussy licking, but I have a boyfriend. Bye!' ?" 

"Uh, yeah! Ideally before you got her into fucking bed."

"Shit. I really fucked up, didn't I?"

"Yeah. Big time."

"What now? I don't want to give up on Al, but neither do I want to break up with Larry..."

Piper looked at Polly.

"No. Hell no. Please, Piper, just pick one. I'm not choosing for you. And you can't just keep on being a slut."

"I'm not being a slut, I just have a heart dilemma."

"Okay, well, you're gonna fix it yourself, big girl," Polly said while walking to the door.

"Pooool! Help me! What kind of friend walks out on other drunk and conflicted friends?"

"Look, Pipes, just do whatever makes you happy. I don't know Alex, so I can't in all good conscience tell you to pick her, but you obviously like her, okay? So if you want to pick a tall, hot lesbian over a nice, sweet guy who also happens to be your boyfriend, go for it. I just don't think it's gonna last. Ok, babe, I really gotta go now, it's like 2 and Pete's probably freaking out right now."

She kissed Piper on the cheek and was about to leave when she remembered what she came for.

"Shit, the dress."

Piper handed it to her and watched her walk away. Her conversation with Polly just confirmed her doubts. Larry or Alex? Her heart (and her body) were pointing towards Alex, but her head wanted Larry. She told herself she'd just wait and see how it played out. Maybe seeing Larry would help her decide. Speak of the devil... He was just knocking at the door.

"Hey!"

"Hey, Pipes! Oh, I'm so happy to see you!"

He kissed her. It was nothing compared to Alex. Really, really nothing. She just smiled and invited him in. 

"I thought you didn't get here until tomorrow."

"Pipes, it's like two in the morning. We are tomorrow."

"Shit, sorry..."

The tequila was starting to kick in, and Larry picked up on it.

"Have you been drinking?"

"Maybe. Could we talk about this tomorrow? I mean today. Whatever, you get it. I really need to sleep."

"Sure."

Larry helped her to get into bed, then turned off the lights and slowly closed the door. He really was sweet. She turned around. The pillow still had Alex's scent on it. She already missed her. That was an indicator, wasn't it? When Larry left, she just missed having someone to share the house and the bed with. Fuck. She was going to pick Alex, wasn't she? The most illogical choice. The one she desperately wanted to make, but also the one she knew to be the most risky, stupid and irresponsible. And the one that was going to make her happy. 

She was gonna pick Alex. 


	7. Headache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper and Larry spend the day together, and the least I can say is that Piper is not exactly thrilled, because a certain someone is on her mind.

Piper woke up with a terrible headache. She groaned as she slowly tried to sit up on her bed. She looked on the other side. Larry wasn't there. She looked at the clock, and it indicated 2pm. She couldn't waste her whole day sleeping, though she did think about it. Piper walked towards the kitchen, hanging on to the walls, to get the coffee she desperately needed. She turned the corner and what was waiting for her in the dining room? A whole breakfast, or rather a feast. Oh, and Larry. 

"Did... Did you make all of this?" Piper asked, surprised.

"Yeah, yeah, I did."

"Wow, I'm... Impressed."

She was going to sit down, but stopped half-way through.

"Wait... What's this for? Either I did something very good, or you did something very bad. I didn't do anything particularly good... Larry, what'd you do?"

He chuckled.

"Nothing, I swear. Eat up, love, we can talk about it after breakfast. Brunch. Lunch. Whatever meal this is."

She sat down, still suspicious, and took the plate her boyfriend was handing her. She bit in a pancake, and immediately spit it out in her napkin.

"What'd you put in this?"

"Nothing weird, I followed the recipe!"

"Then we should fire whoever wrote it, because this is the most disgusting thing I've ever put in my mouth. And that says a lot."

"Shit, is it that horrible? I can't even do this right..."

"Don't worry, I'll just heat up some frozen waffles."

"I'm sorry, Pipes, I really wanted this day to be special."

"Special? Why? What's today? Is it my birthday? Oh, no! Did I forget our anniversary? I'm sorry!" Piper apologized, stroking Larry's cheek across the table.

"No, love, it's not our anniversary."

"Oh," Piper said, puzzled, as she sat back down. "Then why is today special?"

"Oh, um, no reason, really, it's special becauuuuse..." Larry stuttered as he was trying to make up a reason. "I am back in town," he said as he was gaining confidence. "And we never spend any time together anymore, which is ridiculous considering we only live 45 minutes away. So it had to be special."

Piper looked at him, eyes squinted, as she was trying to figure out what was really going on. Larry never cooked, except for barbecue. So why now? Her boyfriend was -and always had been- a terrible liar, and that incident was just the proof of that. Something was up.

"Let me make it up to you," he said, taking her hand over the table. "We'll go to that fancy art gallery you wanted to check out, then to Luna Park, and we can pick some dinner up and eat it on the beach. How does that sound?"

"Exhausting. And expensive."

"Pipes..."

"You don't have to do all this. I'm perfectly fine staying home and watching bad horror movies."

"Yeah, but I want to do it. I want to do it with you."

"Hmm..."

Larry sat beside her and stroke her cheek. She closed her eyes. Even his touch reminded her of Alex. She had to break it up, but how? The timing seemed terrible.

"Larry..."

He put his index on her lips.

"Shhh... You don't have to say anything. I'll pack everything up. Meanwhile, you just sit tight and relax."

"Larry, I...."

"No, baby, it's okay, don't worry about it."

"No, Larry, wait, we have to talk."

"No, no, talking stresses, and you have to relax."

"Not talking stresses me more..." Piper thought.

Seeing Larry's determination, Piper decided it was best to wait. She could tell him an other time. She'd let him make nice memories before she broke his heart. Hmm... Maybe not the best move. Or was it? She didn't know anything anymore. She sank into the couch and "sat tight", trying her best to put all her Larry-Alex thoughts in a little box in the corner of her head and forget it for the day. As you may have guessed, it didn't work. On the contrary, it was the only thing she could think of, and it did not help her already-bad mood. A half-hour later, they -or rather Larry- were all packed ready to go. Piper had dressed herself in the most casual clothes she owned, trying to convince Larry of her very little enthusiasm, and hopefully to get him not to go. 

"Are you really going out like this?"

"Um, yeah, do you mind?" She resentfully asked.

"No, no! Of course not, I just..."

Piper glared at him.

"Nothing. You look gorgeous, as always."

He opened the door.

"Milady," he said, inviting her outside.

She sighed. Her mood was getting worse by the minute. They got in the car.

"So," Larry asked,"  tell me what's been going on in the last month?"

"Nothing," Piper dully answered.

"Um, okay, so what about that new roommate of yours?"

Piper froze. She'd never told him anything about Alex. What if he knew? She hesitated between casually (and truthfully) answering him, or going for total denial. She decided that considering he probably knew she had one since he just asked her about it, she'd better go with the former.

"Uh, her name's Alex, she moved in like two or three weeks ago. Just out of curiosity, what... how... how do you know about her, exactly?"

"I wanted one of my old books, and it came to my attention that there were no more books upstairs, but rather a bedroom."

Piper exhaled. She was in the clear. She took a sip of water.

"So I figured either you got a roommate, or you're cheating on me."

Piper choked.

"What? What do you mean?" She nervously asked.

"Nothing," he laughed. "I was just messing around."

She could breathe again.

"You'd probably sleep in the same bed anyway," he joked.

And again, out of her mouth went the water. She really had to come clean, her heart couldn't take it anymore, the next stop was a heart attack. Larry pulled up in the gallery's parking lot. They got out of the car, and Piper felt like her knees would give in at any second. Despite her desire to enjoy the exposition, she just couldn't get her heart into it. She kept casting stealthy glances at Larry, trying to see if he was suspicious of anything. Of course, he wasn't, but Piper's strange behaviour made him wonder.

"Pipes, are you okay? You seem... weird. And concerned. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing, honey, I think I might just be starting my period or something."

Quick thinking, Piper. Men -- or Larry, at the very least-- always seemed to be grossed out by the simple facts of nature. Her stratagem worked indeed, and her boyfriend stopped asking questions. The rest of the day was excruciating, and every second felt like a thousand. She just wanted to get home, take her bra off and sleep. It was about 9pm, and they were finally at the beach-- the last step before going home. Larry got the food out of the trunk, and displayed it nicely on an outdoor tablecloth on which he had also lit a few candles. The fire near a tablecloth with the wind blowing and everything made her kind of nervous, but she had to admit, it did look like the romantic picnics in those cliché Hollywood movies, and frankly, she didn't hate it. Larry poured her some wine.

"To us," he toasted.

"To us."

She felt sick getting those two words out. "To us". In a few hours, there would be no "them" anymore. She chugged her wine, barely leaving a sip. Larry looked at her and concluded it was best not to say anything, so he just let out a small "Bon appétit". The rest of the evening went by relatively quickly since she was busy eating. When Larry saw she was done, he started looking in his short's pockets for something.

"What are you looking for?"

"Just... Hold this," he said, giving her his keys and wallet. "Ah! There it is."

He got a little plastic baggie in which laid a ring.

"Oh, no, Larry, tell me this isn't what I think this is..."

He got down on one knee.

"Piper Elizabeth Chapman, through out the last few years, you've made me so happy! With you, I've grown and learned, and lived, and laughed, and cried, and I never want it to stop. The last month has been one of the hardest months of my life. Being away from you has made me realize I never want to be again, and I hope you don't either. So, Piper, what do you say? Will you marry me?"

Piper was astonished. Out of all the things she thought would happen on that day, a marriage proposal was the last of them. She didn't know what to say. Should she break up? Say yes? Say no? Ask for time to think? Straight up run away? So many options... She had to answer him. Now.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to hear the people! What do you think Piper's next move should be? Just know that whatever you decide, Alex won't be out of the picture, she's coming back soon. Where should the drama come from is my real question. I'll wait for your suggestions before proceeding to write the next chapter, so please, don't be shy to comment!! Oh and please leave a little kudos if you enjoyed, it's always appreciated! xxx


	8. Piper's 24 Hours of Stupid Bullshit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think the title pretty much sums it all (FYI we see Al again)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, people of the Internet.
> 
> I just want to thank you all for your comments. I'm really sorry if this chapter isn't what you wanted it to be, but I kind of had half written already because I thought you guys weren't gonna comment. I know this isn't ideal, but in order for the story to be interesting, I decided to take a slight detour. Thank you sm for your support and keep on reading until the end!

 

"Piper?" Larry asked.

"Yes?"

"Wait, was that a yes I'll marry you or a yes I heard my name?"

"Yes. Wait no that was a yes I heard my name. Wanna get some ice cream?" Piper asked, walking away.

"Uh, Pipes, we're kind of in the middle of something here..."

"Yeah, I know... But you know, ice cream can't hurt, right?"

"Piper, why are you doing this? Don't you want to marry me?"

Piper remained silent. Did she want to marry Larry? Why wouldn't she? He was sweet, and caring, and not "a tall, hot lesbian"... She kind of wanted more of that tall, hot lesbian, though, but she knew Alex could never give her the life Larry could. And Larry couldn't give her the life Alex could... Would Alex even be up to be her girlfriend? Or was it just a fling? Larry was still kneeling with the ring between his fingers. She couldn't say no...

"Okay."

"What?"

"I'll marry you."

"Oh, Pipes! I was starting to get worried!"

He put the ring on her finger, planted a little kiss on her lips and hugged her. What had she done? She was supposed to break up, not get married...

"I'll call my parents! Pipes, they're going to be so happy!" Larry exclaimed as he was going through his pockets for his cellphone.

"No, no, Larry wait... I need some more time actually, I..."

"Just a second, love. They'll find out sooner or later, so what difference does it make?" He asked as he dialed. 

"No, you don't understand, I..."

"Hi, mom!" Larry cut her. He put his index up, asking her to wait a minute "You'll never guess what happened..."

She should've said no. She should've grown some damn balls and said no. Why was she like that? Why did she always have to do what she thought would make others happy? What about her? Ugh! She was so mad at herself. Just before Larry dialed she finally got the courage to stand up for herself and Larry interrupted. Now it was too late. She couldn't back down. Larry hung up. She smiled faintly.

"Are you ready to head home?" He asked.

She nodded. Larry talked the whole way back home, and Piper fake-smiled at everything even though she didn't hear any of it. She had that feeling, the one like when you're in a terrible accident and people ask you things but all you can hear is some noise and ceaseless ringing in your ears. The world seems to slow down because you just don't understand what happened. That's how she felt. Lost. The first actual thought that popped in her head was one simple word, a name, actually: Alex. They got home, Larry tried to do stuff, but she told him she was too tired and pretended to got to sleep. As soon as she heard him snoring, she got up and wandered around the house like a lost soul, which, in a sense, she was. 

She got to the stairs and smiled at the sight of the little scratch in the wood from where she fell down the stairs on Alex's first day as her roommate. She missed her, and missing people made her do really stupid stuff. Second up on Piper's 24 Hours of Stupid Bullshit  (because the first one, obviously, was accepting Larry's proposal): going up to Alex's room! And because, of course, staring at her stuff wasn't creepy enough, she went and smelled her pillow. It had kept her scent. She kept it close to her chest and just sat there for awhile. She tried to imagine what her life with Alex would be like. Probably way more exciting and fun, it'd be like being a teenager again, but forever (and with money). The one thing she really needed that she wasn't sure Alex could give her was certainty, a guarantee that they weren't just a fling, a little adventure that'd fade and leave her alone, back at the starting point. Getting Alex to give her that same amount of certainty wasn't going to be a piece of cake. She went downstairs and poured herself a glass (two glasses, really, maybe three) of scotch, which, for the record, she didn't really like. She just wanted something that could get her hammered and the bottle was the first one on the shelf.

And so, decision number three on Piper's 24 Hours of Stupid Bullshit, inspired by the scotch, was talking to Alex. As you may have noticed by now, Piper doesn't have the best judgement, and she isn't really normal either. That's why you probably won't be surprised if I tell you that instead of drunk texting her like normal drunk people do, she decided to drunk find her. Oh yes. She put on a coat, took off the ring, stuffed it in her purse and opened the "Find My Friends" app. Alex was close, conveniently. Only a few minutes away. She closed the door and walked into the night. 

She finally arrived. The only thing separating her from Alex was that huge wooden door. She hesitated. Should she? She felt like she'd done her share of stupid things for one day. She turned around and lost her balance, resulting in her collapsing on the door. She heard footsteps. It seemed she'd have to confront the brunette after all. Alex answered the door.

"Piper? What are you doing here?" 

"Oh, hey... Um, actually, I was about to uh..."

She looked up and her gaze met Alex's. She shut up. Piper had forgotten what effect Alex had on her. She got up and got closer to Alex. 

"Alex, I..."

Before she could even finish her sentence, Al took her face and kissed her. Her tongue was warm, and her breath had a sweet mint taste. Piper felt embarrassed of what her own breath must've tasted like, but she really didn't care. She'd been thinking about that moment for days. Alex lead her by the waist to the kitchen. Piper took off her shirt and then Alex's. She made her hop on the dishwasher and took her pants off. She wanted to pick up where they left off. She didn't quite know what to do, but her instincts kicked in, and she let Alex's moans guide her through it. They moved up to the bedroom, and it was Alex's turn to take care of her. 

 

* * *

 

As soon as they finished, Piper dozed off. Alex kissed her on the forehead and covered her with blankets. She'd missed her. She went back to the kitchen to pick up her clothes, smiling. She just stared at them and laughed a little before picking them up. As she took Piper's purse, something fell out. She picked it up; it was an engagement ring. Her heart skipped a beat. 


	9. Trouble In Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex confronts Piper about the ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Peeps,
> 
> I hope you'll enjoys this chapter, and as always don't be shy to let me know or make suggestions!

The sun was rising, but it made no difference to Alex. She'd been up all night, playing with the ring. She was wondering what it meant, and she was terrified of the answer. Either Piper was engaged, or she was about to propose, which would've been totally crazy. Neither of the options pleased Alex. Frankly, she hoped Piper had found it somewhere and just decided to keep it. Rather unlikely. The blonde was starting to turn around, so Alex quickly hid the ring in the latter's purse. 

"Mmmh...Where am I?"

"Wow, you were really wasted, huh?" 

"Ohhh that's right! Hi, Al."

Despite her anguish, Alex couldn't help but smile. Piper was adorable. Alex kissed her, and continued the conversation.

"Hi. Did I wake you?"

"Oh, no, don't worry," the blonde said as she was sitting up." Ahh! My head!"

"Do you want some aspirin? I think there are some left downstairs."

"Oh, yes, that'd be great, thanks."

Alex walked out at a much slower pace than usual. She was trying to buy herself some time before she had to confront Piper about the jewelry. Her hands were slightly shaking. Almost not, but they still were. She had to get a hold of herself. She was strong. She could take care of herself, she didn't need some blonde to live, right? So, worst case scenario, she lost the woman who she'd felt the stronger connection to in her whole life, big deal. Breathe. She grabbed the aspirin, took one herself for courage (though amongst all the medicines, cough sirup had proven itself to be more efficient), and went back upstairs.

"Here."

Piper took  what was being offered to her. 

"Thanks."

"Sure."

The room was awfully quiet. It was starting to get weird. Alex couldn't just ignore it forever, she'd eventually have to say something, and then was as good a time as any.

"So, um... Last night, why exactly did you come here?"

The blonde fondly smiled.

"I missed you," she simply answered.

Alex wanted to believe her, but if the past had taught her anything, it was that nobody could be trusted. If it seemed too good to be true, it probably was.

"Piper... Please. Don't do this."

Piper seemed a little upset.

"Do what?"

"This! Fuck, Pipes, how naïve do you think I am?"

"What the hell are you talking about? I just told you I missed you, what is this? What'd I do, Al?"

Alex rushed to Piper's bag and searched for the ring. She took it out.

"This."

 

* * *

 

 

Piper remained silent. She didn't quite know what to do or say that wouldn't make things worse. If she thought things couldn't possibly get any worse, it usually meant she was about to do the impossible and push the universe to the edge until everything had fallen apart. She thought her best option was to trick Alex into giving her the right answer, so she replied with a question.

"What?"

"Holy fuck! I can't believe you!"

It didn't quite work. Alex stood up. She was insanely mad, the kind of mad only Piper could make her.

"Really? Really, Piper? I am literally standing here with the fucking ring in my hands! You can't avoid this by asking me 'what'. Just say it."

Piper hung her head in shame. She knew Alex was right, she couldn't keep dodging the conversation forever. She still didn't want to have it. Alex was getting tired of her crap. She sighed, slammed the ring on the night stand and stormed out. She'd fucked it up again. Not only did she cheat on her fiancé, she also drove her lover away. She had to make things right. She had to go after her.

"Alex, wait!"

 

* * *

  

Alex took her glasses off to wipe her eyes in prevention. She knew herself; one more second of this madness and she'd brake. She'd already snapped, which was a bit of an overreaction, but she blamed it on the lack of sleep. Inviting Piper in the night before had been an obvious mistake. She was no amateur when it came to fucked up relationships, she should've seen that one coming. In fact, she probably subconsciously had. As she had figured out with Nicky, she was an expert at sabotaging her happiness, so the only person she should've been mad at was herself. Well, no, Piper was to blame too, but she wasn't solely to blame for the situation was her point. However, she had to leave her self-hatred aside since she was about to have an awful conversation with Piper, which required a tremendous amount of energy she couldn't waste scolding herself.

"What? You can talk now?"

"Alex. Just let me explain."

Alex raised her eyebrows. She was hostile and skeptical in a very conspicuous way.

"Go ahead, then. Enlighten me. Blow me away with the truth."

She took a chair out and sat. She was staring at Piper to pressure her, her glasses dangling from her hand. It seemed to work. Piper nervously rubbed her neck and inhaled. Normally, Alex would've smirked at that victorious sight, but she was so pissed she couldn't. She was waiting for Piper's explanation to drop so she could tell her how ridiculous it was, kick her out and move on with her life.

"Okay, look. I didn't mean for things to go the way they did."

Of course not. She was careless and inconsiderate, she couldn't think, just apologize once it was too late.

"Larry came home early. He make me breakfast, lunch, brunch, whatever, and had this amazing day planned for us."

Wow. Way to make her feel better. Piper seemed to have read the room.

"Not the point. Okay. Anyway, I wasn't thrilled, I swear. I couldn't get you out of my head."

Oh yeah, sure. You go out with your perfect hetero of a boyfriend and you think about that girl that moved in a few weeks ago and who left you half naked in the bedroom before storming out and never calling again.

"And then, he proposed. I wanted to say no, Al, I tried."

Alex didn't want to reply, but that argument made her so angry she had to break her vow of silence.

"You tried? Really? That's the best you could come up with? How can you _try_ to say no? You just do Pipes. You grow some fucking balls and you say no. Geez."

Alex was done. She started to get up.

"Alex, please, just let me finish. Okay, yeah, I know how it seems, but trust me, it wasn't like that. Everything inside of me was yelling no, and I tried to like... Change the subject..."

Alex smiled against her will. She couldn't help it. It literally was the dumbest thing she'd heard.

"You tried to change the subject?" Alex asked. "He proposed... And you actually tried to change the subject?"

Piper shyly laughed.

"Yeah, it was pretty dumb... I asked him if he wanted to go get some ice cream..."

Alex laughed a little too. They gazed at each other, and for a second, their spark of complicity was back. The tension had worn off a little.

"But in the end, I couldn't say no, and the other option left was yes. So I said yes. But then, I realized just how reckless that was, and I tried to back out, I did, but he kept interrupting and he called his fucking parents. I just couldn't break his heart like that. You get it don't you?"

Alex stayed silent. She didn't have the words. She was terribly angry, confused and sad all at once.

"No, Pipes. Frankly, I don't. Why do you keep doing this? How do you expect me to ever trust you if you go around getting engaged just because you don't have the guts to say no?"

"I don't expect you to. I just want you to have the whole story before you decide you never want to see me again. Look, the bottom line is that I don't love him. He's not the want I want to be with."

Piper stared at Alex. They both knew who she wanted to be with.

"But... Even though I don't love him, it doesn't mean I don't care about him. I just... I don't know how to break this thing off without hurting anyone more than I already have."

Her voice was breaking, and she was starting to tear up. Actually, they both were, but Alex was more subtle about it.

"I dont think you can, Pipes. You just have to rip the band-aid off, or it'll hurt even more. And it'll hurt everyone."

Piper knew she was right. She took her coat and her bag.

"Where are you going?"

"Home... I have an engagement to break off."

 

 


	10. The Band-Aid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper does what she has to do (for once).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy sorry I've been so inactive lately... Anyway, enjoy!

Piper was walking back to her house. She was nervous, a little sad, and a little happy to be honest. She could already feel the burden of the lies being lifted off her shoulders. She could do it. Of course she could. She put the key in the lock and turned it. No backing off now. She heard chattering coming from an other room. It could only mean bad things...

"Larry? Who's home?"

She saw Larry's mother walking up to her. It was worse than what she could've ever imagined. It was going to make things so much harder... Wrong attitude, Piper. Breathe.

"Oh! Piper! I'm so happy for you two! Come here, darling."

She forced the blonde into a very unwanted hug. Piper was tremendously uncomfortable.

"Oh, Amy, um, wait, please, I've got to talk to Larry."

"Oh, come on, dear, it can wait! You two have the rest of your lives to talk now!"

"No, really..."

"Oh, come on, Amy, let the girl go, will you?" Supported Larry's dad.

"Fine, fine!"

"Thanks."

She faintly smiled and walked over to the kitchen where she assumed Larry was. She had terrible timing but she had built up the strength to do it and it had to be now. She was done being a pushover and determined to end this engagement. Larry was going to be mad and his parents would hate her forever, but what's two more people, right? Plus, she had Alex's shoulder to cry on. She was going to be fine. She entered the room and her not-for-long-fiancé's face lightened up. She was going to break his heart so hard.

"Hey, Larry..."

"Hey, love."

He kissed her but she didn't even move her lips.

"Pipes, are you okay? You seem kinda weird... Distant. What's on your mind?"

"Oh God, okay, here we go... Larry, we need to..." 

She paused and looked through the door frame. Someone quickly hid away. Probably Amy spying on them...

"Maybe we should talk somewhere more private."

Larry looked as preoccupied as her. He was starting to worry, but still agreed and followed her in the backyard. She closed the door behind them.

"Ok, here's the deal. When you asked me to marry you, I said yes, right? And..."

"Yes. it was the happiest moment of my life."

Larry hugged her. She couldn't believe it. It was almost as if he knew what was going on and was trying to prevent her from breaking it off. She felt her cellphone buzz and picked it up, she really needed a break. It was Alex.

"Sorry, I gotta take this."

She answered the phone.

 _"_ Hey! Ugh, I'm glad you called. _"_

 _"Is it done yet?_ " Alex asked, impatient to be reunited.

 _"_ No! It's like he won't let me! His parents are here, for fuck's sake! And he won't stop being all sweet and... Jesus, I'm not sure I can do this to him, Al _."_

_"Fuck, Piper! No, no! You can, okay? I know you can! Rip the band-aid off. Pipes, if you don't do this now you're gonna be stuck with him forever."_

_"_ I know, I know... But would it be that bad? _"_

_"Jesus Christ do you hear yourself sometimes? You shouldn't have to ask yourself if 'it's gonna be that bad' to marry the person you're engaged to. Look, if you want to marry him, fine, but don't come crying to me when you see what a huge mistake you've made. Meanwhile, if you decide to listen to yourself, to me, and to all fucking common sense, I'll be waiting here, okay? If you don't come back before tomorrow I'll assume you've made your choice."_

Piper nodded over the phone, knowing that she didn't need to say anything more, and waited for Alex to hang up. She didn't do it immediately, but the silence on the line was rather comforting. Alex ended the call. Piper knew damn well what she had to do, and despite the doubts she revealed to Alex, she was still determined to rip the band-aid off. Nonetheless, she was scared. If her relationship with Alex didn't depend on it, she would've rather waited for the damn band-aid to fall off on its own like she knew it eventually would, but it had to be done. She inhaled, put on her most compassionate smile and went back to Larry.

"Who was that?" Larry asked.

"Uh... My mom."

"Oh, did you tell her about the engagement? She must be thrilled!"

"No, Larry... Okay, look I just gotta do this, once and for all. Getting engaged was kind of a mistake. I just... I didn't want to say no not to hurt you, but I realize now that this probably hurts more... You're probably mad, and you have every right to be, but trust me, it's better that I tell you this now than at the altar..."

Larry was speechless. What are you supposed to do when your fiancée breaks up with you and your parents are in the next room, all excited for you? There was a hundred things he wanted to say, but all he managed to get out was a weak "why?" as tears were filling up his eyes. Piper was heartbroken to see him like that, but she knew she made the right choice. She tried to figure out how to give him an answer that wouldn't make him feel worse and betrayed. She was walking on eggshells.

"I... Look, it didn't feel right. I mean, I wanted this to work, and I love you, I do," she said as she was taking his hands and sitting him down. "But you could feel it too, couldn't you? Lately it's been feeling like we're oceans apart, and considering that we live less than an hour away from each other, I don't think that's normal. We're just... We're not what we used to be."

She meant every word she said, and she didn't lie to him, either. She was kind of proud of herself. He nodded and she wiped the tears off his cheeks with the back of her hand. She ran her hand through his hair and gave him a kiss goodbye. She smiled at him and he did too, tears still running down his face. Piper inhaled and slowly walked away. She heard the back door opening and Larry's parents coming out, but she didn't look back. Larry's mother exclaimed, and she heard Howard saying he never liked her. The feeling was mutual. She accelerated the pace, little by little, until she was running. She grinned and laughed a little. She felt free, finally. It was as if the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders, and soon, she'd be in the arms of the person she truly was meant to be with: Alex.


End file.
